Expert-recommended Indian diet plan for weight loss

If you've tried and been unsuccessful in your weight loss efforts, it is probably because you did not follow the right diet or were unable to continue it due to the bland taste. We Indians are used to a certain flavour in our food and cannot really give up eating rotis and rice. But did you know you can lose weight on a desi diet too? Celebrity nutritionist Radhika Karlewho currently guides Sonam Kapoor about her dietary habits, lists down some rules and charts out a sample meal plan for people looking to lose weight on an Indian diet. You may also read how to stay healthy on a vegetarian diet.

Five golden rules

1. Eat every two hours:Don t wait till you get hungry. It is important to consciously eat at the right time for your body's metabolism to work optimally.
2. Control your portion size: Get your portion size right by charting it out depending on your weight loss goals, etc. Here are some common measures: One serving of fruit equals to a tennis ball sized fruit (you can include more than one fruit if they are smaller in size). One serving of rice is one-third cup cooked rice. Calculate how much weight you can lose in a month here.
3. Avoid anything that has saturated fats: Switch to things which are low-fat. Say no to buffalo milk which is full fat. Have only 2 tsp of oil/ghee per day. You might want to know the 6 natural sources of good fat.
4. Shun sugar: They just add empty calories to your body. One can get enough natural sugar from seasonal fruits and dry fruits. If you want to sweeten something, add stevia as it a natural sweetener. Though honey and jaggery have other good properties, if you are on a weight loss diet, you should stay away from them as they too add empty calories. Read stevia as it a natural sweetener. Though honey and jaggery have other good properties, if you are on a weight loss diet, you should stay away from them as they too add empty calories. Read 10 common mistakes people make while losing weight.
5. Drink enough water: Keep yourself hydrated by drinking enough water every day. A simple way to find this out is by checking the colour of your urine. It should be pale yellow in colour. If it is lighter or darker than that, it may indicate that you are not drinking enough water. Read about 14 healthy Indian dishes that the world should take notice of.

Here is a sample weight loss Indian diet plan

Breakfast

a. Home-made rava idlis with sambar (no coconut chutney)

b. Whole green moong chilla with mint and dhania chutney

c. Oats upma made with vegetables (try using steel cut oats for added fibre)

Mid-morning snack

a. Chaas made with 1/3 cup low fat dahi add fresh dhania, rock salt, and jeera powder

b. Mango milkshake mango + cup (125 ml) low fat milk (NO added sugar)

c. Fruit chaat 1 cup mixed fruit (use fruits with higher fibre apple, pineapple, guava, pear. Add chaat masala + a pinch of rock salt)

Lunch

It would be best to incorporate 4 food groups. See the table below and mix and match to ensure a well-balanced lunch meal:

STARCH	VEGETABLE	PROTEIN
Phulkas 2	Start with 1 cup salad all raw vegetables	Dal cup moong, toor
Brown rice cup cooked	Plus cup cooked sabji	Chowli (black-eyed peas)
Lapsi rava (broken wheat) cup cooked	Focus on green vegetables	Rajma (kidney beans)
Jowar rotis (made with 3.5 tbsp atta)		Chole (Chickpeas)
Methi/palak rotis		Low-fat paneer 50 grams
Aloo/potato cup cooked		Moong sprouts
		Waal (White beans)

Mid-afternoon snack

a. 1 utapam made with less oil + roasted tomato chutney

b. Home-made Bhel:

• 1 cup murmura
• cup roasted chana
• cup plain roasted peanuts
• cup mixed tomato + onion + dhania
• Green chutney made from pudina and dhania

c. Steamed methi muthiya (Gujrati snack):

• Made with combination of bajra, whole wheat, and besan atta
• Use fresh methi

Dinner

It should be the lightest meal of the day. Choose from the following options:

a. Bowl of soup Rasam/palak/dudhi

b. Bowl of sprouts salad:

• 1 cup cooked sprouts chana, moong
• 1 cup all raw vegetables cucumber, tomato, onion, carrot
• Dressing of lemon, salt, and pepper to taste

So follow this diet and don't forget to try these fat-burning exercises for weight loss.

Image source: Getty Images

Disclaimer text TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any weight loss through this method as the results may vary from person to person. We recommend you consult your nutritionist and physician before following any of the tips suggested here.

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